Catch Me if You Can
by GingerRavenclaw
Summary: Finch Weasly, better known as Foxface, goes to Hogwarts. Not only is she a witch, but also an unregistered animagus. What happens when she is thrown into the 74th annual Hunger Games? *SYOC for the sequel (CLOSED)*
1. Prologue

A/N- So this part is an introduction to life in Panem as a witch or wizard, and then Finch's life at Hogwarts, just to provide some background. Enjoy :)

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I remember it like it was yesterday; the day I got my letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An owl flew in as my parents and I were eating breakfast. My parents had told me about Hogwarts and magic, and that we have to be very careful, and make sure no one finds out. You see, we live in the strict, oppressive nation of Panem, in District 5. Not many magical people are left here, thanks to the Capitol. During the Dark Days, most of them were burned at the stake, hanged, or otherwise brutally murdered, yet a few managed to survive and hide their magic. The Capitol also burned down the Salem Witches Institute, the only magical school in Panem, so now the few magical children left here travel to Scotland every year, to go to Hogwarts. This is no easy feat with the Capitol's strict rules. Since everyone between the ages of 12 through 18 must attend the reaping on August 30th, there is still a chance we will be reaped for the Hunger Games. If we aren't reaped, we will go to Hogwarts the next day, as usual, but if we are, we have to compete in the Games, where our chances of making it out alive are very slim. The latter is what happened to me, just before my fifth year.

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When I got to school, I was sorted into Ravenclaw house, the same house my father was in. My mother, however, was in Gryffindor. I didn't have any close friends. I didn't know anyone there who was from Panem. I couldn't wait to learn as much as possible about magic. I was very interested in transfiguration, particularly animagi. I immediately went to the school's huge library, to find out more about animagi. I just knew I wanted to be one someday. Finally, late in my third year, I succeeded. I was practicing late at night, with the curtains drawn around my bed, and reading a large book from the restricted section. After what seemed like hours of hard concentration, I felt my body begin to shift and change shape and size. I had transformed into a fox, with fur as red as my trademark Weasley hair. I never told anyone, not even my parents. I never registered in the Ministry. I wanted this to be my secret; something only I knew.

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A/N- Thanks for reading! The next chapter should be up soon.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N- thanks sooo much for reading, commenting, or favoriting! It really means a

lot to me, this is my first story I have published. Thanks and enjoy :D

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I woke up early, around 5 AM. Still groggy, I looked at the calendar on my wall, and saw the date: August 30, Reaping Day. Well, nothing will wake you up in the morning like realizing you might be sentenced to death that day. I didn't have a huge chance of getting reaped, since I was only entered 10 times: 4 times because it is my fourth reaping, and 3 for tesserae .District 5 wasn't the poorest district in Panem, but it definitely wasn't the wealthiest either. Thankfully, the reaping doesn't start until noon, so I had about 7 hours to do whatever I wanted. My parents won't be awake until 8, which gave me 3 hours of complete freedom of running around as a fox.

I quickly put on a pair of gray cargo pants, a black t-shirt, and black combat boots. I wolfed down a piece of toast before leaving the house. After taking a few steps outside, I ran back in, realizing I had forgotten something: my hat. I have to be sneaky walking around the district in the early morning, as it would look quite suspicious for a teenage girl to be out this early, especially on reaping day, and my bright red hair stands out like a unicorn amongst a herd of threstals in our district. The streets, the buildings, the power plants, even the sky, are all shades of black and gray, hence the importance of my gray, knit beanie, even though it is summer.

I slink along the silent streets, avoiding the few patrolling peacekeepers. I end up at an old power plant at the edge of District 5, in front of the fence separating the district from the wilderness. It hasn't been used in years, which makes it the perfect place for my early morning escapades. I walk around back, to the fence, and move one of the larger rocks next to the fence, revealing the hole I had dug under the fence a few years ago. It is somewhat narrow, but deep. I've nicknamed it the foxhole. I won't fit in my human form, so I transform into my fox animagus. I feel my nose and mouth area elongate, my arms and legs become shorter, tail and fur grow, and my senses become sharper. I crawl under the fence, careful not to touch it, because it is almost always electrified. I quickly transform back to human, and carefully reach under the fence to put the rock back, then transform back into a fox. It is unlikely anyone will notice the hole; no one comes here anymore, but I'm not taking my chances.

I ran around for a while, eating plants and berries that I know are edible, ones I've seen real foxes eat. A few hours later I made my way back to the foxhole, getting out the same way I got in. I wasn't sure what time it was, and I didn't want my parents to realize I was gone. As I approached our house, I saw my mother through the kitchen window, making breakfast. I couldn't just walk through the front door; she would know that I've been out. Thank Merlin our house is only one story tall. I crept around the house, and climbed into my room through the window. I changed back into my pajamas and messed my hair up a bit, to give the appearance of having just gotten out of bed, before going into the kitchen.

"Good morning" I said upon entering the kitchen, faking a yawn. "Ooh! Pancakes!" I exclaimed, staring at the warm blueberry pancakes my mother had made. She always makes a special breakfast on reaping day. She never said it, but I think it's because it might be the last meal the three of us eat together. My father comes in shortly after, and we eat and talk. Talk about anything, how school will go, dad talking about work. We talk about anything, carefully avoiding the subject of the reaping to come.


	3. Chapter 2

I stood with the group of 15 year old girls, waiting for the reaping to begin. I was wearing the only dress I owned, a deep green sundress, and brown ballet flats. My hair was done in two low buns, one behind each of my ears.

'Please just let this be over' I said to myself. Soon enough, district five's escort, Felix, came to the stage, and gave the speech about the Games. Then, the Reaping began.

"Ladies first!" he announced, fishing around in the reaping ball. I contemplated my odds. My name was only in that ball 10 times, which isn't many, compared to the few hundred names total. Older girls, and those that put in more tesserae, are more likely to be reaped than me. ' It's okay' I told myself 'The odds are in your favor, and tomorrow you will go to Hogwarts, and won't even have to watch the Hunger Games'

Felix pulled out a slip of paper with a flourish, and slowly unfolded it.

"Finch Weasley!" he read.

What? No. Oh dear Merlin, did I hear him right? As more and more eyes found my face in the crowd, it really hit me. I was reaped, and would have to compete in the 74th annual Hunger Games.

A/N- sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the last one, but I just thought it was a good place to stop. Thanks for reading :D

Also, I was thinking of doing a submit-your-own-character thing for the sequel (which I'm already planning, since I have most of this story written). I'm not really sure if its allowed, but I see them all the time. Anyway, let me know if you'd be interested.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N- so I decided to go straight into the games, but ill mention stuff that happened between the reaping and the games. Enjoy :)

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As my pedestal rose from its tube, I took in the landscape around me. There was a lake, a dense forest, a field of some kind of long grass, wheat maybe, and of course, the all important golden cornucopia in the center of the circle made by the 24 tributes. There was one minute until the games started.

59 seconds, 58, 57...

I remembered what my mentor told me; get as far away from the cornucopia as fast as possible. I'm not a career or a strong fighter, and with my training score of 5, I'm as good as dead if I partake in the inevitable bloodbath.

15, 14, 13...

I place my hand over the pocket on the right leg of my cargo pants. The pocket contains my token; a silver locket with a picture of my parents inside. I had refused to wear it around my neck, for another tribute could easily grab it and strangle me. I shuddered, thinking about how brutal the careers could be.

7, 6, 5...

I looked around to see which tributes were closest to me, to determine the safest route to take. Katniss Everdeen, from 12, stood to my right, between me and the forest. Getting an training score of eleven, she was rather intimidating, and I wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. However, directly behind me I has perfect acsess to the field. Thinking less tributes would go there, I figured I would be relatively safe there. 'At least for a while' I reminded myself.

3... Ready

2... Set

1 RUN!

As the gong sounded, I whirled around and sprinted straight toward the grassy field. I never looked back, I barely even thought for once. I just ran as fast as I could, hearing my pulse pounding, my lungs burning, and legs aching. I was running on adrenaline. Eventually, when I felt as if I would collapse, I stopped. I had to rest, I had to make a plan.

In the distance, I could hear the sounds of battle: screams, shouts, metal weapons clanging against each other as many other tributes fought for supplies, and their lives. 'The two most crucial things in the arena' I thought bitterly, realizing I only had the latter, and to keep it, I would need the former. I decided that at nightfall, I would go back to the cornucopia, and scavenge for leftover supplies. Of course, it wouldn't be the best, but a scrap of food, a small weapon, or a little water could be the difference between life and death.

'What if I run into another tribute?' I thought frantically, especially fearing the careers. I would be dead in an instant if I came across them, heck, any tribute would. 'Any tribute, but I'm not just any tribute' I thought, as my plan clicked together like puzzle pieces. Eleven cannons sounded, signifying the deaths in the bloodbath.

It would be extremely risky to use magic in the arena, but I was desperate. Foxes aren't really good for edible meat, so it would be unlikely to wind up as someone's dinner. As the sun set, I checked the area surrounding me for cameras watching my every move. There weren't many places to hide a camera in a field of grass, and the only cameras showing footage now were probably on the careers, or others who made it out of the bloodbath. as the sun set, I changed into my animagus form. As soon as the sky was completely black, the Capitol seal appeared in the sky, and the anthem could be heard. Today's eleven deaths appeared across the sky: The girl from District 3, the boy from 4, my district partner, Mark, both tributes from 6 and 7, the District 8 male, both from 9, and the girl from 10.

Realizing my district partner was dead brought on a wave of sadness. I wasn't sure why, I had never been very close to him, I only knew him from elementary school. We had decided to train separately for the Games. I didn't want to form relationships with any tributes; in an alliance, one of you will die eventually, bringing unneeded grief to the survivor. In these games, you can't lose your focus to mourn the dead.

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A/N- thanks for reading! I still have some parts of the story I'm unsure about, so if you would take a few minutes to answer a question or two from the previus chapter, it would be greatly appreciated! Also I started a Harry Potter songfic a while ago, but never got back to it. Let me know if you'd be interested in reading it. It's based on the song Kiss it Better by He is We (if you haven't heard it, you should look it up, it's really good, but sad :( Also (I feel like this is getting really lengthy, thanks if you're actually reading this) if you have any tips on how to make my writing better, please feel free to share them with me. I'm pretty new at this, and could use all the help I can get. The thing is, I know what I want to happen in parts of the story, but I have trouble pitting it into words. I feel like I'm writing too many details, or useless information, making sentences too long or short, and now I'm rambling, soooo, I'm just gonna go now... Bye!


	5. Chapter 4

When the sky went dark once again, I transformed, and made my way back to the cornucopia. I could smell a hint of smoke in the air. On my way, I heard something moving in the tall grass, something too large to be an animal. Definitely not a career; they wouldn't be alone this early in the game. I recalled two tributes who didn't appear very stealthy: Thresh, from 11, and Peeta, from 12. Something told me that Peeta wouldn't have decided to go it alone, so I determined it was Thresh I had heard in the field.

I approached the edge of the field, and changed back into human form. Gleaming in the artificial moonlight, was the cornucopia. I sprinted to it, hearing a cannon go off as i searched for any supplies that had been neglected earlier. I managed to scavenge a package of dried fruit, an empty canteen and iodine, and a small knife, bloodied from the battle earlier. Loosening my sturdy brown belt, I secured the canteen under it, put the fruit in my jacket pocket, and kept the knife out, just in case. I began jogging towards the forest, where I knew I had a better chance at finding food. I had excelled at an edible plants test in training, but as I realized how tired I was, I decided to wait until morning to put those skills to use. I scaled a tree with rather thick foliage, secured myself to the branch with my belt, and fell asleep within minutes.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N- I feel like most of this chapter is kind of boring and slow, but please, bear with me, the pace will pick up soon :)

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I woke up the next morning as the sun began to rise. I climbed out of my tree, and began searching for edible plants. Eventually, I had gathered a few handfuls of berries and roots. Using the long grasses from the field, I managed to craft a snare, and catch a squirrel. After cooking it, I wandered around, searching for water, remembering what the trainers told us: 20% of us will die of dehydration. After a while, I came across a stream. I filled my canteen, added the correct amount of iodine, then set another snare and ate while I waited for the water to purify.

At nightfall, I buried my supplies by the roots of a tree near the river, a bit irritated that I hadn't caught anything with my second snare. After watching the death toll in the sky (only the district 8 girl had died), I transformed into a fox and dug a deeper hole, more like a burrow, for shelter. It was risky to sleep in a tree the previous night; I could have been seen, and easily killed in my sleep. I curled up in my burrow, still in fox form, feeling much safer and less hungry than the night before.

Several days passed similarly, until I came across the career pack.

I saw the careers on the fifth day, while I was hunting They chased the 12 girl up a tree, like angry dogs chasing a cat. Apparently, like dogs, they aren't very adept in climbing. They agreed on setting up camp by the tree, waiting for her to come down. I watched in fox form by the edge of the small clearing.

After the anthem and death toll, and after the wolves had fallen asleep, I saw the tiny, birdlike girl from 11 in a nearby tree, trying to get the attention of the 12 girl. She pointed to something in the older girl's tree.

'Oh no' I said to myself, as I saw what 11 was pointing at; a tracker jacker nest. During my limited Muggle education in district 5, I had learned a thing or two about muttations. I knew tracker jacker stings caused powerful hallucinations, and even death. I watched in shock as 12 began hacking away at the branch the nest was affixed to. Due to the thickness of the branch, and her somewhat small knife, this process took awhile, and I dozed off...

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A/N- So, as promised (or not really promised, whatever), I'm doing a Submit Your Own Character for the sequel/part 2. It takes place mostly at Hogwarts and the Wizarding world, so the characters should be Hogwarts students. Just fill out the stuff and send in a review or private message. Thanks :)

Name:

Age:

gender:

House:

Year:

in DA?:

Appearance:

Personality:

Blood status:

Brief history:

Importance in rebellion (ex: spy, fighting, technology, strategy, etc):

Wand:

Special Abilities (animagus, werewolf, metamorphagus):

Family:

Weapon (besides a wand):

Quidditch?:

Patronus:

Strengths:

Weakness:

(PS, if you're still freaking reading this, I have a bit of trivia for you. Do you know why I named the story Catch Me if You Can? Besides that it just sounds school, where did the title come from? Whoever gets it right gets a, um, cookie, or shout out... I don't know, what do you people want?


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: I know, I have the most creative titles EVER :) anyway, thanks for continuing to read my story, and for submitting your wonderful characters!

* * *

I was rudely awakened by the sounds of buzzing and frantic screaming. My eyes snapped open, and I was immediately alert and ready to flee from any attacker. I realized the sound was coming from the clearing by the tree with the jackers' nest, only the nest wasn't there anymore, it was on the ground, smashed open.

Hundreds of the insects swarmed out of it, going straight for the careers. Most of them had run off with only a few stings; if treated properly, they might survive. But the girl from district 1, Glimmer, was writhing on the forest floor, nearly covered in tracker jackers. The parts of her skin that were visible were grotesquely swollen from stings. I had read about the side effects of tracker jacker venom, but seeing it firsthand was terrifying. I sprinted after the careers that had fled, hearing the boom of Glimmer's cannon. They had just gotten to their camp, the cornucopia, when the hallucinations set in. Some of them started walking funny, as if they were very dizzy. A few just collapsed and passed out, while others just screamed nonsense.

I changed into human form and scaled a nearby tree. From my vantage point, I could see tons of supplies stacked in a pyramid, several yards from the mouth of the cornucopia. I pondered snagging some supplies, before realizing it seemed almost too easy. Way too easy

It had to be booby trapped somehow. I looked around, trying to figure out how. My eyes landed on the holes in the ground next to each platform around the cornucopia. _Wait, holes? There shouldn't be holes, there should be_- And then it hit me.

Someone, probably the boy from 3, since he seemed to be part of the career pack, had dug up the land mines, then reset and buried them around the pyramid. I had to admit, it was a brilliant idea. Anyone who got near it would be dead instantly.

Well, almost anyone.

There had to be a way to get in, after all, the careers had to get to it. I knew I could figure it out as soon as they woke up.


	8. Chapter 7

_ Left, right, left, straight, jump right, left, leap right, straight..._  
I carefully observed Clove's sequence of steps as she approached the pyramid. She grabbed several knives, water bottles, and food, stuffing the supplies into a backpack. She did the same careful steps, and returned to the rest of the careers.  
There were only four of them left now: Marvel from 1, Cato and clove, from 2, and the boy from 3.  
As soon as they had left to hunt, I swiftly descended the tree. From down here, I could better see where the mines were buried, even though they had made an effort to conceal them. I repeated the pattern I had just seen Clove execute; Left, right, left, straight, jump right, left, leap right, straight...  
I carefully took supplies I needed, mainly food. An apple here, a few slices of cheese there, a few nuts, a small roll of twine. I couldn't believe how much stuff they had; they wouldn't even realize that such an inconspicuous amount was gone. I hastily shoved my items into my pockets, and repeated the sequence to avoid the land mines.  
As I made my way through the forest, I pondered on how lucky I was. Well, as lucky as a redheaded, part-fox witch could be in this situation. I was glad I had figured out how to get to the careers stash. My hunting was less than decent, and it seemed there were less and less animals in the arena in the past few days. Edible roots, berries, and nuts were also becoming more difficult to find. Maybe it was just a coincidence.  
Probably not.

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A/N- thanks for reading and submitting your lovely characters!


	9. Chapter 8

A few days had passed with a similar routine: hide out in a tree, wait until the careers leave to kill children, dodge the mines to get food, hide again before they come back, repeat daily.

Only today was different, though it started out normal enough. As I watched the careers prepare to leave, I noticed a cloud of smoke in the distance. The careers quickly noticed it too, and immediately set off to find the fire-starting tribute, leaving the boy from 3 to guard the supplies. They didn't always leave a guard, but when they did, I still managed to be unseen.

I darted into the clearing and hopped around the mines. As I neared the end of the small minefield, my foot caught on something, and I lost my balance.

_ This is it_ I thought. _This is how I die, being blown to a million pieces. They won't even have a body to return to district 5._

No. It can't end this way. I won't let it. I flail around for a moment, and it feels like time has slowed down and I'm trying to swim through syrup. Finally, I regain my balance, and make it to the pyramid. 3 is facing away from me, with a long spear clutched in his hands. As I snatch various foods, I think about how easy it would be to kill him. I could just grab a knife from the pile, and sneak up on him from behind. He would never see me coming...

I snap myself out of my sadistic thoughts. _You can't_ I tell myself. I promised myself I wouldn't kill anyone. Besides, I'm not very good with weapons. He probably wouldn't die immediately, and either have time to spear me, or call out to his career buddies, who would then kill me. I prefer to stay alive, thank you very much.

As I run right behind him, I hear a twig snap under my foot. I sprint into the woods as he whips his head around, looking for the culprit. Fortunately, I'm gone, and he never saw me.

I hope.

Several minutes have passed, and I have resumed hiding in a tree near the clearing, a little farther away this time, to make sure 3 can't find me.  
Suddenly, I hear an earth-shaking BOOM from the clearing that nearly knocks me off my branch. I leap through the trees, and see that the pyramid has been blown to bits. Everything has been destroyed.

Every. Last. Bit.

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A/N- thank you so much for reading, and please review! Constructive criticism is welcome. There should be a little more action in the next chapter.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N- thank you for all of your lovely reviews, they just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Happy new year :)

Cato and Clove returned within minutes, Cato was clearly furious.  
"How could you let this happen?" he shouted as he approached 3, who had barely survived the explosion.  
"Who did this? What did you see?" Cato had his hands around the boy's neck now.  
"I don't know!" the younger boy whimpered, terrified. "I didn't see anyone, except..."  
Cato was losing his patience. "Except who? Just spit it out already!"  
"There was a girl, with red hair. I-"  
Snap.  
Boom!  
The boy's limp body fell to the ground, dead, his last words incriminating me.  
I knew I was as good as dead.  
"Cato" Clove spoke up "There were only two girls with red hair, and one of them was killed in the bloodbath" she pointed out "Which means..."  
"It was the fox" he finished. Great, I have a nickname. I'm not surprised that no one bothered to learn my real name. I kinda like it, though; it makes me seem mysterious, elusive. If only they knew how ironic it was.  
After sitting frozen in shock for a minute, I came to my senses, and figured that I really should run for dear life right now. I deftly leapt through the trees as soon as the pair of careers turned in my general direction. I could hear them trampling through the woods behind me. I wasn't sure if they had seen me yet or not. _It's just a coincidence_ I told myself _They just happen to be going in the same directio_n.  
I was a nervous wreck. I knew I would be dead meat at the hands of careers. My hands were sweaty, and my whole body shook. As I prepared to leap to another branch, I lost my balance, tumbling ungracefully through the branches, before landing with a _thud_ on the forest floor.  
"Well well well, look who we have here" cackled Clove, still several yards away. "It's the 'clever' little fox who blew up our stuff!" Before I could protest, she flung a knife toward my head, which I dodged easily.  
"Get her Cato!" she screeched. Cato lunged, and the next thing I knew, he had me pinned to a tree, with his sword against my throat. Clove smirked menacingly as she circled us, her knife drawn.  
"I didn't do it, I swear!" I reasoned, not that he would spare me anyway. "I didn't even see it until today" I lied "I've been way out in that field the whole time" I added, trying to make my lie sound more convincing.  
"I couldn't care less if you did it or not, but now that I've got you here, why not get rid of you now, before you cause any more trouble" Cato hissed.  
Fast as lightning, I grabbed the wrist of his sword hand with one hand, twisting it around. I grabbed my lone knife from my pocket with the other, twisting around and freeing myself from his iron grip.  
I wasn't really sure of my plan of action; I couldn't kill both of them even if I wanted to, but I couldn't let them kill me. I was outnumbered, but not outsmarted.  
Ducking as Cato's sword slashed towards my head, I attempted to get in an injury wherever possible. I managed to slash his shirt a few times, and gave him a nice gash from his jaw to below his eye, all while dodging the deadly swings of his sword.

Suddenly, I was jerked backward by a knife-wielding maniac. I quickly found that Clove was much better at throwing knives than using them in hand-to-hand combat. I managed to give her a few minor wounds, before smashing the knife handle into her left temple, rendering her unconscious. As Cato rushed over to defend her, I took it as my opportunity to flee. I sprinted, as hard as I did at the beginning of the games, until I was sure I was out of their sight. Morphing into a fox, I scampered off, triumphant, and extremely lucky.

Or so I thought.


	11. Chapter 10

After finding a safe hiding place, this time in the form of a small cave, I checked for any injuries, and made sure I still had my few stolen goods. I had a few small cuts, but nothing major. However, as I rummaged through the items in my pockets, I realized there was something missing. I scanned the objects a second time: Knife? Check. Food? Check. Canteen and iodine? Check and... No check. It must have fallen out of my pocket during the fight, but I couldn't risk going back. It was the only thing I had to make sure any water I found was safe to drink, and the only water I had with me was in the canteen, which was about one quarter full. Knowing humans (part animal or not) can only last a few days without water, I figured my only option was to risk drinking the water directly from the river.

I made my way over the rocks to a calm part of the stream. Taking off my jacket, I dunked a corner into the cold water, using it to clean my wounds from Cato's sword. I filled my canteen and drank, hoping that I was overreacting, and that there was nothing dangerous in the water after all. It looked pretty clear, not dirty or murky. After collecting a few edible plants, completely giving up on trying to catch forest animals, I made my way back to the cave, having claimed it as my temporary shelter.

I woke the next day, feeling awful, and not just because of the bruises from my fight the previous day. My head ached terribly, and started spinning when I tried to sit up. My muscles felt sore, and I felt terribly nauseous. I crawled out of the tiny, cramped cave, and immediately threw up.

'Great, Finch' I told myself. 'You're on national television, and what do you do? Vomit on a bush'. So much for getting sponsors.

Now fully awake, I crawled back inside, looking for something to eat. My eyes landed on my canteen of water, and immediately, I knew what was wrong: the water I had drunk was definitely contaminated.

I spent the rest of the day in the cave, mostly sleeping, occasionally snacking on my rationed food. At first I was hesitant to drink more water, but I figured since I was already sick, what more harm could it do?

I spent the next few days in a similar way, leaving the cave only to get food or water, never straying too far from my shelter. On my second day of this routine, there was an announcement: now two tributes could win, as long as they were from the same district. I didn't pay it much attention, after all, my district partner died long ago. The only partners left were the careers from 2, and the 'star crossed lovers' from 12. If they can now work together until the end, that could increase their chances of winning. Unfortunately for the solo tributes -Thresh and myself- our odds just decreased.

By the fourth day, I had improved a little; the headache had subsided, I could keep down the little food I ate, and my wounds had mostly healed. I now had the energy to wander further from the cave, in search of food. As I did so, the announcer's voice blared once again, informing the six remaining tributes that there is going to be a feast, offering us each something we desperately needed. I knew it was the only solution. Whatever medicine I needed would be offered to me at the feast, I just knew it.

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A/N- thanks for reading! So clearly, I'm not a doctor, so I have no idea what would really happen if a person were to drink contaminated water, so I kinda just made it up, because I can do that!


	12. Chapter 11

As soon as I heard about the feast, I quickly went back to my cave to gather my meager belongings, before embarking on the journey across the arena to the cornucopia. I knew that in my sick and malnourished state, the trek would take longer than it usually would. I began walking at about noon, and made it to the edge of the clearing by nightfall, shortly before the anthem was played, and it was revealed that for the third day in a row, no tributes had died. The Capitol viewers must be getting bored, so the gamemakers are giving them more of what they want: violence. That's the plan behind this feast, and a clever one, I must admit. Bring us all together, with hopes of getting what we desperately need, only to put our lives in even more danger.

Well I, for one, will not play that game.

I dash over to the cornucopia, abandoned by Cato and Clove after the explosion. I hid deep inside, hoping the shadows and depth of the giant metal horn would conceal me until the feast. I curled up on the cold metal floor, trying to get a little sleep before the feast.

I woke to whirring, mechanical sounds beneath my head. I jolted upright, and saw four backpacks atop a metal table rising from the ground in front of the cornucopia. Two backpacks were very large and dark blue, one labeled with an 11, the other with a 2. A green, medium-sized backpack was marked with a 5, and the smallest bag was orange, with a 12. As soon as the table stopped, I sprinted out of my hiding place, barely slowing down as I snatched the green bag, and dashed off into the forest. I was there and gone in an instant; no one else had even emerged from the woods yet. I kept running, heading back to the cave, putting as much distance between myself and the second bloodbath that was most likely occurring. I heard a deep voice shout, then the frantic screams of a girl, before several metallic _BANGs_, and finally, a cannon.

And then there were five. It seems to be my number, lucky or not, I'm not sure. I'm 15, in my 5th year, my birthday is on the 5th, and live in district 5. I hope this pattern doesn't continue with me coming in 5th place.

I slowed to a walk when I felt I was a safe distance away. I sat beneath a tree, and unzipped the backpack. Inside, there was a canteen of water, larger than my own, a bottle of iodine, and a small, plastic bottle containing two round, white pills. Hastily, I unscrewed the cap and washed down the pills with the water. I shoved everything back into the bag, along with my old supplies, and slung it over my shoulders.

I arrived at the cave by noon, already feeling much better, when my growling stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten since yesterday. Taking note of the pitiful rations of food, I wandered further along the river, in search of something edible.

I walked on the rocks on the riverbank, noticing red smudges every few feet. I followed them until they stopped by an upturned patch of mud and leaves. I looked around, and saw a cave in the rocks off the riverbank, the opening looking as if it had been hastily covered with leaves and vines. I creeped closer to the cave, and peeked inside, finding two sleeping bodies: Katniss and Peeta, the 'star-crossed lovers' of district 12.

I pondered going inside. They would certainly have food, due to the girl's expertise with the bow she clutched in her sleep. It's too risky, I determined. Unlike the careers, they would notice if a single piece of food was missing. Also, if they woke up, my chances of escaping the small, enclosed space are slim. Since I was already there, I scavenged for some edible plants before taking shelter in a nearby tree to wait for them to leave.

A/N- As always, thank you so much for reading and staying with this story! There are only a few chapters left until the "sequel". I'm not sure if I'm going to post it as a separate story or not yet.


	13. Chapter 12

I looked up at the night sky to see the face of the girl from district 2, Clove. Only five of us are left now: me, Katniss, Peeta, Thresh, and Cato.  
The next morning Katniss and Peeta emerge from the cave. Once they are a safe distance away, I climb down and follow them. From what I can hear of their conversation, I find out that they are looking for food. Perfect. I haven't had a decent meal since the games began, and my stomach is growling constantly now. As the two lovers part ways, I decide that my best option is to follow Peeta.

I hide myself behind trees and bushes as he makes his way over to a bush of blueberries. He puts handfuls of berries on a tarp he has laid on the ground, along with some cheese that he eats while he works. Once he goes deeper into the woods to collect more, I dart out of my hiding spot and grab a few of the berries.  
I squeeze one until the skin breaks, blood red juice oozing down my fingers. Blueberries don't have red juice. These are definitely not blueberries. They are deadly berries, nightlock.

I hear Peeta's heavy footsteps nearing and scamper back to the bush I was hiding behind. Placing more berries on the tarp with the others, he pops a few into his mouth.  
He collapses immediately, followed by the ominous _boom_ of the cannon. I jump out of my hiding spot, take some more of the berries, as well as a few slices of cheese, and run. Katniss will be here any minute, and I don't want to be here when she finds out who that cannon was for.

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A/N- sorry this chapter was kinda short, and that I killed Peeta (well, not _that_ sorry). The next chapter will end the games!


	14. Chapter 13

Finally, the finale Is here! Thank you so much for reading!

* * *

That evening two faces appeared in the sky: Peeta and Thresh, the boy from 11. I had heard a cannon earlier, after Peeta's, but I hadn't known who it was for. It's down to the final three now, and honestly, I'm surprised that I have made it this far, especially without killing anyone. I know I will have to eventually, in order to win. After all, in these games it's kill or be killed.  
I woke the next morning looking up at the branches of the tree I had slept in. I noticed something silvery glinting in the morning sunlight. At first I thought I was still dreaming, but as my eyes focused on it, I realized it was a sponsor parachute, snagged in the tree branches. I scaled the tree to retrieve it, wondering what a sponsor could have possibly sent me. When I grabbed the container attached to the silvery fabric, I concluded that it was an old parachute, as the canister was empty. I sighed, disappointed. The games are almost over, and I haven't gotten a single gift. I bet Katniss and Cato have gotten dozens of these things. That's when an idea dawned on me. I just had to find Cato.  
It didn't take very long. He was sitting at the mouth of the cornucopia, probably just waiting for Katniss or me to emerge from the woods. I slunk around the perimeter of the clearing, to the back of the cornucopia. Carefully and quietly, I scaled the metal structure. Once on top, I pulled out the nightlock from my pocket and put them in the parachute container. I crawled to the edge of the horn, right above Cato, and held my breath as I dropped the chute. He wouldn't know any better, he'd think it was yet another sponsor sending food. I ducked, paranoid that he would look up in the direction the chute had come from, and the next thing I knew, the 22nd cannon of the games went off.  
Immediately after, the sky became significantly darker. The sun was setting, though I could've sworn it was just noon. The game makers are probably trying to speed things up, or create a more dramatic setting for the grand finale.  
I leaped down from the cornucopia and snatched a knife from Cato's bag. I contemplated taking his sword, or one of the larger weapons, but they were too heavy, and I too inexperienced. Now was not the time for stupid mistakes.  
I scurried to the edge of the clearing as the hovercraft approached to take Cato's body. As it was leaving, I heard howling and barking in the distance. I readied my knives, one in each hand. Within minutes, Katniss sprinted from the woods, closely followed by some kind of muttation wolves. Before they disappeared into thin air, I noticed their unique appearances: a brown one that was rather small, but with an extremely vicious look in its deep brown eyes. Another, smaller than the first, with dark brown fur and eyes, lingered near the back of the pack. They were all led by a large, muscular wolf, with blue eyes and blond fur. They also had tags with numbers on them, hanging from their collars; numbers 1 through 12. Of course, these wouldn't be any normal wolves, but they created them to look like the deceased tributes. Because they haven't already messed with our minds enough.  
Once the mutts disappeared, Katniss spotted me across the field, immediately notching an arrow and aiming it directly at my heart. Next thing I knew, it was flying towards me, but I dodged it in time, so that it only grazed my upper arm. Desperate, I flung a knife in her direction. It looked as if it was going to miss its mark, but at the last second it swerved, as if blown by a strong gust of wind, and sliced the string on her precious bow.  
Outraged, she threw the useless bow and empty quiver to the ground, before sprinting towards me, knife in hand. I landed on my back with a thud as she pinned me to the ground, holding her knife to my throat.  
"Do you really want to do this?" I whispered. This seemed to throw her off guard a bit. The fury in her eyes dimmed.  
"I'm sorry" she replied. "I have to. It's the only way. I promised I would win. For Prim, for Gale, for Rue, Peeta-" she pressed the blade harder against my throat, tearing up when I interrupted.  
"You just don't get it, do you? Your not the only one. Everyone promises they will win. Everyone has family and friends they miss, and promise to return to. And every year, twenty-three of them have to break that promise. I'm no different. I have a family I love, and a life to get back to. What makes you so special, girl on fire? Because you volunteered? Because your from an outlying district? Enlighten me with your flames, Everdeen."  
She appears startled by my little speech, and just blinks a few times, before jumping up, and running towards the forest. Before I really know what's going on, I fling my last knife at her retreating back, surprised when it embeds itself directly between her shoulder blades. I race towards her, appalled by what I have just done. She will certainly be dead within a few minutes. I kneel next to her dying body, nearly sobbing, when she whispers something, so low that no one watching at home could have heard it.  
"This has to end" she chokes out. "The games- they can't-" she pauses, closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath.  
"Free Panem Foxface." She presses something cold and round into my hand: her district token, a mockingjay pin. _Boom_, her cannon sounds.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Finch Weasley, winner of the 74th annual hunger games!"  
"I'm so sorry." I whisper as I shakily stand up. I performed the three-fingered salute I had seen at her reaping, before a hovercraft descended to take me away.

* * *

A/N- So, what'd ya think? I'm particularly proud of this chapter, even though I had to kill Katniss. Sorry 'bout that...

Also, do you think I should post the sequel/part two here, or as a separate story? Either way, it won't be updated as often as this one was, since I haven't actually written all of it.


	15. Note

Just thought you should know, I just posted the sequel, United We Stand Tall, s/8919949/1/. I hope you like it!


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